A great weekend then for United, who go 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League after Manchester City slipped up against Southampton yesterday.

A very comfortable half for United, who looked in complete control, while Everton struggled to threaten. Van Persie's goal was decisive as up until then the Toffees looked like threatening a comeback, only for it to knock the wind out of them.

93'

And there goes the full-time whistle.

91'

Three minutes of injury time to be played.

90'

Baines sends in the corner, but Vidic is there to head clear.

89'

Everton struggling to even get hold of the ball...

87'

United keeping possession well at the moment. Everton seem to know it is not their day today.

86'

Fellaini goes into the book for a late tackle on Cleverley. The Belgian has had a hugely frustrating game.

85'

United are doing a great job of seeing out this game. They have pretty much been doing that since the beginning of the second half.

83'

Time is running out for Everton...

82'

Everton win a corner but Osman's delivery is poor and it fails to beat the first man.

82'

Jelavic takes advantage of a mistake by Smalling and shoots from the edge of the box but De Gea makes a top save to bail out his defender.

81'

United make a change at the back as Smalling comes on for Evans.

81'

United counter down the other end as Rooney picks out the run of Giggs in the box. The Welshman squares it to Van Persie but the striker is unable to direct his effort on target.

80'

Baines bursts forward down the left and fires in a cross but Carrick is able to get his head onto it and clear the danger.

79'

Gibson plays a ball into the box looking for the run of Osman but he overhits it and De Gea is able to claim it.

78'

Rafael gets forward down the right but his cross into the box is very poor and sails out for the goal kick.

77'

Everton are probing and probing. Osman forces his way into the United box but his cross-cum-shot is poor and lands straight in De Gea's arms.

75'

Everton have really struggled to break this United defence down in the second half. They cannot seem to find a way past them.

74'

United passing it around very comfortably until Carrick wastes possession with a poor pass over the top of Everton's defence.

73'

Rooney gets on the end of a long ball over the top but Gibson does brilliantly to get tight to the United man and put the tackle in.

72'

Van Persie sends in a corner but Howard is able to claim it unopposed.

71'

United are looking pretty comfortable, but one goal for Everton would soon change that.

70'

Jose Mourinho is an onlooker in the Old Trafford crowd. He will be scouting United ahead of their Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday.

70'

Everton bring on Naismith for Mirallas. The Belgian has tired as the game has gone on.

69'

The game is finally starting to get a little more stretched like it was in the first half.

68'

Baines gets forward behind Rafael and cuts the ball back to Osman but Carrick arrives with a great tackle to bring an end to the attack.

68'

Everton are lucky to only be two behind after those last two corners!

67'

Another corner is cleared but only as far as Cleverley on the edge of the box who volleys the ball towards the top corner, only for Howard to produce a fine finger-tip save to turn it over the bar.

66'

Evans gets on the end of Van Persie's corner but Howard makes a top save to deny him, before Everton somehow scramble the ball off the line and away to safety.

65'

Jagielka slices his clearance and United win a corner...

64'

Everton still having no luck finding a way past this United defence. They looks short of ideas at the moment.

63'

Valencia fires a cross in from the right but nobody is in the middle and Everton are able to clear the danger.

62'

Jagielka plays a long ball into the box looking for Fellaini but Evans does very well to stand his ground and the ball runs out for the goal kick.

61'

Everton need to impose themselves on this second half like they need in the first 45 minutes. At the moment United are looking very comfortable.

60'

Rooney spots the run of Evra but Jagielka is in the way with a thumping challenge to clear the danger.

59'

Giggs picks up the ball on the edge of the box and decides to shoot but his shot is blocked and Everton are able to clear.

58'

Can Jelavic spark some life into this Everton attack?

56'

Everton bring on Jelavic for Anichebe, who also looks to be injured.

56'

United bring on Carrick for Jones, who looks to be injured.

55'

Jelavic looks like he is soon to make an appearance for Everton...

54'

Heitinga puts Howard under a little pressure with his back pass and the goalkeeper is forced to slice it out for a throw in.

53'

Gibson picks out Neville on the right but his cross into the box is poor and it runs out for the goal kick.

52'

Rafael looks for the run of Valencia but Howard does well to come off his line and clear the danger.

50'

United putting Everton under a fair bit of pressure here. They will need to concentrate.

49'

Neville gets forward down the right but that man Vidic comes across to see off the danger.

48'

Everton play it around nicely outside United's box but Pienaar soon loses possession. Although he will claim he was fouled.

47'

Van Persie gets onto the end of a long ball over the top but he is just unable to control it and it runs out for the goal kick.

47'

United with a strong start to this second 45, seeing plenty of the ball and getting forward into Everton's half.

46'

United get the second half underway...

Fear not, it may not be all over yet. The last time these two sides met at Old Trafford, United blew a two-goal lead as Everton came from behind to secure a 4-4 draw. More goals should be on the cards then.

That was Robin van Persie's 19th Premier League goal of the season.

45'

There goes the half-time whistle. United at their ruthless best. Everton have been all over the home side since conceding but have struggled to find a way past their defence. United, on the other hand, needed just one more chance to double their lead. It is going to be a tough ask for Everton to get back into this.

45'

What a killer blow that is for Everton. You have to say they deserve to be level, but now find themselves going into half time two down.

45'

Van Persie beats the offside trap to latch onto Rafael's through ball. He rounds Howard before finishing into the empty net. Heitinga tries to make a goal-line clearance but only diverts it in.

45'

GOAL FOR UNITED. VAN PERSIE.

45'

Everton piling forward but still struggling to find a way past this United defence.

44'

Rafael swings a dangerous ball into the box from the right but Everton get it clear. Evra sends it back in but it falls straight into the arms of Howard.

43'

Jones is still keeping very close to Fellaini and so far managing to frustrate the Everton man.

42'

United counter quickly down the other end and Rooney bursts into the box before trying to pick out Van Persie, only for Heitinga's outstretched leg to divert the ball away.

41'

Everton soon get the ball back into the box but De Gea's punch clear is poor. It falls to Osman on the edge of the box but his first-time hit sails over.

41'

Fellaini gets on the end of Mirallas's delivery but De Gea punches clear.

40'

Rooney bundles down Neville on the by-line. Free-kick for Everton...

40'

Everton come forward again but Anichebe's pass is just behind the run of Osman. Unlucky.

39'

Cleverley picks out Van Persie on the edge of the box but the Dutchman handles the ball and the referee brings a halt to the play.

38'

Rooney sends the free-kick into the box but Gibson is there to volley the ball clear.

38'

Dangerous position for United...

37'

Mirallas flies in with a rash challenge on Cleverley and deservedly goes into the book.

36'

Everton have had 62% of possession in the last ten minutes. They have really been dominating this game since going 1-0 down.

35'

Everton counter superbly as Fellaini picks out Mirallas in space down the right. The Belgian plays it into Anichebe in the middle but he is unable to bring it under control and United get it clear. That was a real chance.

34'

Gibson sends the resulting free-kick into the box but Rooney is there to head clear the danger.

33'

Pienaar does very well to win a free kick off Giggs. This is Baines territory...

32'

Anichebe comes forward for Everton but eventually runs the ball out of play. He has had frustrating half so far.

31'

Valencia plays a long ball over the top looking for the run of Rooney but Jagielka is there to head it back to Howard.

31'

Everton starting to up their level now. United are having to work very hard at the back.

30'

United can only clear Baines' resulting corner as far as Mirallas but his shot is blocked by Vidic. Great defending.

29'

Pienaar tees up Osman on the edge of the box who takes a touch before shooting, but De Gea is there to pull off a top save and tip it past the post.

29'

Gibson tries to play in Mirallas down the right but Evra is there to clear the danger. United have defended very well today.

28'

Everton are seeing a lot of the ball at the moment. United are more than happy to let them have it and hit them on the counter attack.

27'

Everton have been a little undecisive in the final third. They need to change their tactic of long balls into the box as Vidic is eating them up all day.

26'

Neville plays a long ball to Anichebe but Vidic is there to steal the ball off him. Class from the Serbian.

24'

Everton come forward as Neville eventually sends a ball in. The Toffees keep it alive before Osman gets a strike in on goal but he fails to get much contact on the ball and De Gea is able to deal with it with ease.

24'

Van Persie hangs in the corner but he puts too much on it and it goes out for the throw.

23'

Jones wins a corner for United...

23'

Van Persie plays in Valencia in space down the right but Jagielka comes across to avert the danger. Top defending.

22'

Baines sends a dangerous ball into the box but Vidic is there to head clear. It falls to Mirallas outside the box but his delivery is poor and it sails out for a throw-in.

22'

Mirallas does well to win the corner out of Evra. A chance for Everton to get some bodies into the box.

21'

Vidic is there once again to thwart the efforts of Anichebe. United will be delighted to have him playing.

20'

United work it around well before Valencia squares the ball to Jones. The youngster decides to take aim at goal from the edge of the box but he gets it all wrong as it sails high and wide.

18'

Osman tries to play in Anichebe but he puts too much on the pass, leaving the striker with little chance of latching onto the end of it.

17'

Everton are enjoying a nice bit of possession since conceding which is a positive. They wont want United coming at them as they will be full of confidence.

16'

What have Everton got in response after going a goal down? First things first they will need to shore up that defence or United will soon find themselves two up.

15'

Heitinga lofts a free-kick forward into the direction of Anichebe but Vidic is there to head clear. Top defending.

14'

Everton were exposed far too easily there, very poor defending. Heitinga was all over the place.

13'

Valencia is able to flick on a long ball into the path of Van Persie in the area, who then tees up Giggs in the middle. The Welshman takes a touch before slotting it past Howard. In off the post.

13'

GOAL FOR MAN UNITED. GIGGS.

13'

Van Persie's delivery is poor, however, and Gibson is able to get it clear.

12'

Baines gives the ball away cheaply before Mirallas brings down Jones. United win a free-kick in a dangerous position.

12'

Everton were opened up far too easily there. They will want to make sure something similar does not happen to them again.

11'

Lovely play from United. Van Persie seemed a little off balance when he hit that which was why he missed the target.

10'

Rooney plays in Van Persie on goal with a lovely ball. The Dutchman takes it round Howard but can only hit the post.

9'

Jones is being deployed to man-mark Fellaini. He is following him everywhere he goes. Ferguson knows what a threat the Everton man is to his side.

8'

Everton definitely look like they are here to win, not playing for a draw.

7'

It is very end-to-end stuff already. Very fast-paced too, which bodes well for the rest of the game.

7'

United break down the other end through Giggs who plays a ball over the top to Valencia but the winger was in an offside position.

6'

Baines' corner is headed clear only as far as Pienaar but his effort at goal canons back off a defender.

6'

Everton win a corner. Baines steps up...

5'

Fellaini takes a long ball down on his chest beautifully. He will be looking to do that all day long.

4'

Rafael comes forward and cuts inside before playing it to Rooney. The striker takes a touch before taking aim at goal but his effort drifts well wide.

4'

Heitinga plays a long ball forward after being put under some pressure but it is poor and he gifts possession back to United.

3'

Cleverley sends the ball back into the box but Everton are able to head it clear.

3'

Rooney fires it in but Howard is there to punch clear the danger.

2'

Rooney wins a free-kick in a dangerous position for United after being fouled by Gibson on the edge of the box.

1'

Some lovely work from Van Persie, who plays in Valencia down the right, but his cross is too heavy.

1'

Everton get the game underway..

Both teams are out onto the pitch. We are just moments away from kick-off...

A late change to the Everton team. Heitinga comes in for Distin, who picked up an injury in the warm-up. Duffy is now on the bench

Everton boss David Moyes includes Red Devils old boys Phil Neville and Darron Gibson for the clash that ended 4-4 last season.

Both Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney start for Manchester United while Ashley Young and Rio Ferdinand aren't in the match day squad. Ferguson has selected a strong team that includes Nemanja Vidic, Tom Cleverley and David de Gea.